Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1887-11-05
TIE ANNEXATION SCHEME.
The Measure Pushed Only by a Few
SOrehead Politicians.

SOrehead Politicians.
Mr.. A. F. Parker, editor of the
Grangeyille, idaho, Free Press, reply
ing to the question of a News repor-
ter yesterday regarding the annexa-
ton Of the northern part of that Ter
titory to Washington Territory, said:
You may say that the annexation
measure was sprung by a few sore
head politicians in Lewiston simply
as a retaliatory measure for the re
moval of the capital to Boise City.
Lewiston has never forgotten or for
given that, hence the squawk about
annexation.
You may 90 further, and say for
me that the movement never had the
cordial support of the northern people
and that they have only adopted it
as means to secure partisan advan-
tages. In 1880 and 1882 it is fact
that the northern people very generally
endorsed annexation candidates for
Congress, but the political field in the
northern counties was at that time
dominated by Lewiston, and, as the
only two papers published in the
north were Lewiston papers
they, of course. sustained the Lewis
ton policy, and the elections referred
to We're practically unanimous in the
north. Since then, however, the north
has developed to such an extent that
Lewiston no longer dictates how we
shall vote, and the reign of terror
inaugurated by the annexation gang in
Lewiston is happily at an end.
1T WAS NOT A STRONG MOVEMENT,
The annexation sentiment was new
er as strong as is claimed. Only a
| few nights ago an annexation meet
| ing was held in Lewiston, which was
attended by only fifteen grown men
and the usual crowd of small boys
and these fifteen men, with the most
impudent complacency, drew up re
solutions claiming that they demand
ed annexation in behalf of all the
people of the four northern counties
This meeting, and the bombastic non
sense of its proceedings, is the
laughing stock of Lewiston to thi!
day The very politicians who go
up the meeting were careful not tc
be present They are set of busy
bodies, who, instead of advertising
the resources of our growing Terrific
ry, are a positive detriment to til,
community by refusing to participate
in any progressive movement. The,
conceive of annexation as a monl
conceives of love, or as a city-bret
man conceives of the felicities of rura
existence. They are a set of over
grown babies who live in the past
and it will not be long until they anc
their chimerical schemes will be en-
quilted in oblivion by the everincreas
, ing rush of newcomers who have NJ
sympathy with the crazy crowd who
for twenty years, have harbored re
vengeful feelings towards their NOR
enterprising neighbors in the south
OF course, there has been some earn
estness and sincerity injected into i
, from time to time, but not enough t.
preserve it as vital issue, and thu
people have been led astray on thi!
question so often that they will NJ
: longer obey the crack of the sectiona
whip.
, CONFINED TO NEZ PIERCE COUNTY.
J The sentiment for the measure il
confined almost exclusively to Ne
Perez county, and even there tn,
people are hopelessly divided on it
In Idaho, Kootenai and Shoshon,
counties the sentiment is very gener
: ally adverse to annexation, and TIN
interference of delegate Voorhees,, 0
of Washington Territory, and Senate
Stewart, of Nevada, has been of ma
terial assistance, by exciting the terri
: torial pride of the people; and the,
| have lately crystalized around the de
termination that Idaho shall not b
divided up to suit the personal anc
political ambition of Stewart ant
Voorhees,. Between them they hay
: killed the measure, and now that it i
dead, the people will return with re
doubled energy to the task they hay
set themselves of making State on
of Territory.
"The present population of the ter
ritory is 100000; three trunk lines 0.
railroad cross her boundaries, and hel
natural resources Of farming, grazing
and mineral lands, when properly de
veloped and utilized, will sustain q
million people Portland News.